How to Make a Dancing Dress

Not all dresses are suited for a night out dancing. In other time periods, dancing dresses were either ball gowns or flowing, full-skirted creations fit for formal situations. The more causal modern dancing dress is often a short, cocktail-style dress with a loose skirt that is comfortable enough to move in. To make a dancing dress of your own, follow the directions in this article.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Sewing equipment and supplies
• Fabric and matching thread
• Zipper and other notions
• Fabric pencil
• Measuring tape
• Dress pattern

1. Determine what style of dancing dress you would like to make, and choose a pattern that closely resembles your choice. Remember that dancing dresses should be comfortable, but still semi-formal, so you may want to choose something with a shorter, flowing skirt.

2. Measure your body for the dress, using the measuring tape. Measure yourself at the bust, waist and hip, and determine how long you would like the skirt of the dress to be. If you are making a dress with sleeves, measure your shoulder and the length of the sleeve. If you are making a dress with a high neckline, measure the neckline. Choose the pattern size that is closest to your largest body measurement, and then scale down each pattern piece for the smaller measurements.

3. Cut the pattern pieces in your size, then pin them to your dancing dress fabric. Following the pattern guidelines for piece numbers and fold lines, cut the fabric around the patterns. Remove the pattern from each piece and transfer all pattern markings to the fabric, using a fabric pencil.

4. Stitch the fabric pieces together at the seams, following the pattern instructions. Stitch the bodice of the dress together at the shoulder seams, then attach the sleeves at the armholes. Press the seams and finish them by either zigzag stitching or serging. Stitch the rest of the bodice together at the side seams. If the dress has a separate skirt, stitch the skirt sides together, and then attach the waistband of the skirt to the bottom of the bodice. Press and finish all seams.

5. Hem the dress at the bottom of the skirt and the edges of the sleeves, by turning under and stitching or as your particular pattern directs. Attach the collar to the neckline of the dress or turn the edges under and stitch, then press the collar.

Tips & Warnings

• If desired, you can make a practice version of the dancing dress out of cheap muslin fabric to be sure that the dress fits properly. Make all adjustments directly on the muslin, then take the muslin apart to use as pattern pieces.

Resources

• Dress Tutorials
• Make Your Own Dress Pattern
• Dressmaking Video Tutorials
• Halter Dress Tutorial